What is the S&P 500? Who are the Members Today? Who Were the Original Members of the S&P?

What is the S&P 500? Who are the Members Today? Who Were the Original Members of the S&P?

Growing up my parents almost exclusively listened to boring A.M. news stations in the car and I can distinctly remember hearing every 11 minutes (1010-wins for anyone from NY?) that the S&P was up or down a certain percentage. While I almost can’t help but run into this number daily I don’t think there are many people who actually know what the S&P 500 is nevertheless what companies are constitutes of the index.

What is the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 is a basket or index of approximately 500 stocks that is monitored and updated every 15 seconds by Standard&Poor’s, the company who owns the trademark behind the S&P500. Standard & Poor’s provides a brief definition/pat on their back,

…[The S&P 500 is] the best single gauge of the large cap U.S. equities market since the index was first published in 1957. The index has over US$ 4.83 trillion benchmarked, with index assets comprising approximately US$ 1.1 trillion of this total. The index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy, capturing 75% coverage of U.S. equities.

The committee selects the companies in the S&P 500 so they are representative of the industries in the United States economy. In addition, companies that do not trade publicly (such as those that are privately or mutually held) and stocks that do not have sufficient liquidity are not in the index. For example, Berkshire Hathaway has a market capitalization larger than nearly all members of the S&P 500, but its extremely high stock price (over $100,000 for its more valuable Class A shares as of January 2011[9]) makes it very difficult to trade and so the committee excluded Berkshire from the index for many years. However, S&P ultimately put Berkshire’s lower-priced Class B shares into the index, replacing BNSF Railway, which Berkshire acquired. This followed Berkshire’s decision to split the Class B shares 50-to-1, which made those shares worth 1⁄1500 of an A share.By contrast, the Fortune 500 attempts to list the 500 largest public companies in the United States by gross revenue, regardless of whether their stocks trade or their liquidity, without adjustment for industry representation, and excluding companies incorporated outside the United States

***

The index has traditionally been market-value weighted; that is, movements in the prices of stocks with higher market capitalizations (the share price times the number of shares outstanding) have a greater effect on the index than companies with smaller market caps.

The index is now float weighted. That is, Standard & Poor’s now calculates the market caps relevant to the index using only the number of shares (called “float”) available for public trading. This transition was made in two steps, the first on March 18, 2005 and the second on September 16, 2005.

In order to keep the S&P 500 Index comparable across time, the index needs to take into account corporate actions such as stock splits, share issuance, dividends and restructuring events (such as merger or spinoffs). Additionally, in order to keep the Index reflective of American stocks, the constituent stocks need to be changed from time to time.

To prevent the value of the Index from changing merely as a result of corporate financial actions, all such actions affecting the market value of the Index require a Divisor adjustment. Also, when a company is dropped and replaced by another with a different market capitalization, the divisor needs to be adjusted in such a way that the value of the S&P 500 Index remains constant. All Divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the closing value of the S&P 500 Index

Who are the Current Members of the S&P 500?

A large percentage of the members of the S&P500 are likely to be familiar as they are the biggest companies in the United States. The current members of the S&P500 (as of May 24, 2011) are:

Constituent Name

Constituent Symbol

Constituent Name

Constituent Symbol

3M Co

MMM

Johnson & Johnson

JNJ

ACE Limited

ACE

Johnson Controls Inc

JCI

AES Corp

AES

Joy Global Inc

JOYG

AFLAC Inc

AFL

Juniper Networks Inc

JNPR

AK Steel Hldg Corp

AKS

KLA-Tencor Corporation

KLAC

AT&T Inc

T

Kellogg Co

K

Abbott Laboratories

ABT

KeyCorp

KEY

Abercrombie & Fitch Company A

ANF

Kimberly-Clark

KMB

Adobe Systems Inc

ADBE

Kimco Realty Corp

KIM

Advanced Micro Devices

AMD

Kohl’s Corp

KSS

Aetna Inc

AET

Kraft Foods Inc A

KFT

Agilent Technologies Inc

A

Kroger Co

KR

Air Products & Chemicals Inc

APD

L-3 Communications Holdings

LLL

Airgas Inc

ARG

LSI Corporation

LSI

Akamai Technologies Inc

AKAM

Lab Corp of America Hldgs

LH

Alcoa Inc

AA

Legg Mason Inc

LM

Allegheny Technologies Inc

ATI

Leggett & Platt

LEG

Allergan Inc

AGN

Lennar Corp

LEN

Allstate Corp

ALL

Leucadia National Corp (NY)

LUK

Altera Corp

ALTR

Lexmark International Inc

LXK

Altria Group Inc

MO

Life Technologies Corp

LIFE

Amazon.com Inc

AMZN

Lilly, Eli & Co

LLY

Ameren Corp

AEE

Limited Brands Inc

LTD

American Electric Power

AEP

Lincoln National Corp

LNC

American Express Co

AXP

Linear Technology Corp

LLTC

American Intl Group Inc

AIG

Lockheed Martin

LMT

American Tower Corp A

AMT

Loews Corp

L

Ameriprise Financial Inc

AMP

Lorillard Inc

LO

AmerisourceBergen Corp

ABC

Lowe’s Cos Inc

LOW

Amgen Inc

AMGN

M&T Bank Corp

MTB

Amphenol Corp A

APH

MEMC Electronic Materials

WFR

Anadarko Petroleum Corp

APC

Macy’s Inc

M

Analog Devices Inc

ADI

Marathon Oil Corp

MRO

Aon Corp

AON

Marriott Intl A

MAR

Apache Corp

APA

Marsh & McLennan Companies

MMC

Apartment Investment & Mgmt

AIV

Marshall & Ilsley Corp (WI)

MI

Apollo Group Inc

APOL

Masco Corp

MAS

Apple Inc.

AAPL

Massey Energy Co

MEE

Applied Materials Inc

AMAT

Mastercard Inc A

MA

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co

ADM

Mattel Inc

MAT

Assurant Inc

AIZ

McCormick & Co

MKC

AutoNation Inc

AN

McDonald’s Corp

MCD

AutoZone Inc

AZO

McGraw-Hill Cos Inc

MHP

Autodesk Inc

ADSK

McKesson Corp

MCK

Automatic Data Processing

ADP

Mead Johnson Nutrition Co

MJN

AvalonBay Communities Inc

AVB

MeadWestvaco Corp

MWV

Avery Dennison Corp

AVY

Medco Health Solutions Inc

MHS

Avon Products

AVP

Medtronic Inc

MDT

BB&T Corp

BBT

Merck & Co Inc

MRK

BMC Software Inc

BMC

Metlife Inc

MET

Baker Hughes Inc

BHI

Metropcs Communications Inc

PCS

Ball Corp

BLL

Microchip Technology Inc

MCHP

Bank of America Corp

BAC

Micron Technology Inc

MU

Bard, C.R. Inc

BCR

Microsoft Corp

MSFT

Baxter Intl Inc

BAX

Molex Inc

MOLX

Becton, Dickinson & Co

BDX

Molson Coors Brewing Co B

TAP

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc

BBBY

Monsanto Co.

MON

Bemis Co Inc

BMS

Monster Worldwide Inc

MWW

Berkshire Hathaway B

BRK/B

Moody’s Corp

MCO

Best Buy Co Inc

BBY

Morgan Stanley

MS

Big Lots Inc

BIG

Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc

MMI

Biogen Idec Inc

BIIB

Motorola Solutions, Inc

MSI

BlackRock Inc

BLK

Murphy Oil Corp

MUR

Block H & R Inc

HRB

Mylan Inc.

MYL

Boeing Co

BA

NICOR Inc

GAS

Boston Properties Inc

BXP

NIKE Inc B

NKE

Boston Scientific Corp

BSX

NRG Energy

NRG

Bristol-Myers Squibb

BMY

NYSE Euronext

NYX

Broadcom Corp A

BRCM

Nabors Industries Ltd

NBR

Brown-Forman Corp B

BF/B

Nasdaq OMX Group/The

NDAQ

CA Inc

CA

National Oilwell Varco Inc

NOV

CB Richard Ellis Group Inc A

CBG

National Semiconductor

NSM

CBS Corp B

CBS

NetApp Inc

NTAP

CF Industries Holdings

CF

NetFlix Inc

NFLX

CH Robinson Worldwide Inc

CHRW

Newell Rubbermaid Inc

NWL

CIGNA Corp

CI

Newfield Exploration Co

NFX

CMS Energy Corp

CMS

Newmont Mining Corp

NEM

CONSOL Energy Inc

CNX

News Corporation

NWSA

CSX Corp

CSX

NextEra Energy Inc

NEE

CVS Caremark Corp.

CVS

Nisource Inc

NI

Cablevision Systems Co A

CVC

Noble Corp

NE

Cabot Oil & Gas A

COG

Noble Energy Inc

NBL

Cameron International Corp

CAM

Nordstrom Inc

JWN

Campbell Soup Co

CPB

Norfolk Southern Corp

NSC

Capital One Financial

COF

Northeast Utilities

NU

Cardinal Health Inc

CAH

Northern Trust Corp (IL)

NTRS

CareFusion Corp.

CFN

Northrop Grumman Corp

NOC

Carmax Inc

KMX

Novellus Systems Inc

NVLS

Carnival Corp

CCL

Nucor Corp

NUE

Caterpillar Inc

CAT

Nvidia Corp

NVDA

Celgene Corp

CELG

O’Reilly Automotive

ORLY

Centerpoint Energy Inc

CNP

ONEOK Inc

OKE

CenturyLink Inc

CTL

Occidental Petroleum

OXY

Cephalon Inc

CEPH

Omnicom Group

OMC

Cerner Corp

CERN

Oracle Corp

ORCL

Chesapeake Energy Corp

CHK

Owens-Illinois Inc

OI

Chevron Corp

CVX

PACCAR Inc

PCAR

Chicago Mercantile Exchange

CME

PG&E Corporation

PCG

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.

CMG

PNC Finl Services Group

PNC

Chubb Corp

CB

PPG Industries Inc

PPG

Cincinnati Financial Corp

CINF

PPL Corp

PPL

Cintas Corp

CTAS

Pall Corp

PLL

Cisco Systems Inc

CSCO

Parker-Hannifin Corp

PH

Citigroup Inc

C

Patterson Cos Inc

PDCO

Citrix Systems Inc

CTXS

Paychex Inc

PAYX

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc

CLF

Peabody Energy Corp

BTU

Clorox Co

CLX

Penney, J.C. Inc

JCP

Coach Inc

COH

People’s United Financial Inc

PBCT

Coca-Cola Co

KO

Pepco Holdings Inc

POM

Coca-Cola Enterprises

CCE

PepsiCo Inc

PEP

Cognizant Tech Solutions Corp

CTSH

PerkinElmer Inc

PKI

Colgate-Palmolive Co

CL

Pfizer Inc

PFE

Comcast Corp

CMCSA

Philip Morris International

PM

Comerica Inc (MI)

CMA

Pinnacle West Capital (AZ)

PNW

Computer Sciences

CSC

Pioneer Natural Resources

PXD

Compuware Corp

CPWR

Pitney Bowes Inc

PBI

ConAgra Foods Inc

CAG

Plum Creek Timber Co

PCL

ConocoPhillips

COP

Polo Ralph Lauren A

RL

Consolidated Edison Inc

ED

Praxair Inc

PX

Constellation Brands Inc A

STZ

Precision Castparts Corp

PCP

Constellation Energy Group

CEG

Priceline.com Inc

PCLN

Corning Inc

GLW

Principal Financial Group

PFG

Costco Wholesale Corp

COST

Procter & Gamble

PG

Coventry Health Care Inc

CVH

Progress Energy Inc

PGN

Covidien Plc

COV

Progressive Corp

PGR

Cummins Inc

CMI

Prologis

PLD

DIRECTV Class A

DTV

Prudential Financial Inc

PRU

DTE Energy Co

DTE

Public Service Enterprise Grp

PEG

Danaher Corp

DHR

Public Storage

PSA

Darden Restaurants Inc

DRI

Pulte Group Inc

PHM

Davita Inc

DVA

QEP Resources

QEP

DeVry Inc

DV

QUALCOMM Inc

QCOM

Dean Foods Co

DF

Quanta Services Inc

PWR

Deere & Co

DE

Quest Diagnostics

DGX

Dell Inc

DELL

RadioShack Corp

RSH

Denbury Resources Inc

DNR

Range Resources Corp

RRC

Dentsply Intl

XRAY

Raytheon Co

RTN

Devon Energy Corp

DVN

Red Hat Inc

RHT

Diamond Offshore Drilling

DO

Regions Financial Corp

RF

Discover Financial Services

DFS

Republic Services Inc

RSG

Discovery Communications Inc

DISCA

Reynolds American Inc

RAI

Dominion Resources Inc

D

Robert Half Intl Inc

RHI

Donnelley, R.R. & Sons

RRD

Rockwell Automation Inc

ROK

Dover Corp

DOV

Rockwell Collins

COL

Dow Chemical

DOW

Roper Industries Inc

ROP

Dr Pepper Snapple Group

DPS

Ross Stores Inc

ROST

DuPont, E.I. de Nemours

DD

Rowan Companies Inc

RDC

Duke Energy Corp

DUK

Ryder System Inc

R

Dun & Bradstreet Corp

DNB

SAIC Inc

SAI

E*TRADE Financial Corp

ETFC

SCANA Corp

SCG

EMC Corp

EMC

SLM Corp

SLM

EOG Resources

EOG

Safeway Inc

SWY

EQT Corporation

EQT

Salesforce.com

CRM

Eastman Chemical Co

EMN

SanDisk Corp

SNDK

Eaton Corp

ETN

Sara Lee Corp

SLE

Ecolab Inc

ECL

Schlumberger Ltd

SLB

Edison Intl

EIX

Schwab, Charles Corp

SCHW

Edwards Lifesciences Corp

EW

Scripps Networks Interactive

SNI

El Paso Corp

EP

Sealed Air Corp

SEE

Electronic Arts

ERTS

Sears Holdings Corp

SHLD

Emerson Electric Co

EMR

Sempra Energy

SRE

Entergy Corp

ETR

Sherwin-Williams Co

SHW

Equifax Inc

EFX

Sigma-Aldrich Corp

SIAL

Equity Residential

EQR

Simon Property Group

SPG

Estee Lauder Cos.

EL

Smucker, J.M. Co

SJM

Exelon Corp

EXC

Snap On Inc

SNA

Expedia

EXPE

Southern Co

SO

Expeditors Intl of WA Inc

EXPD

Southwest Airlines Co

LUV

Express Scripts Inc

ESRX

Southwestern Energy Co

SWN

Exxon Mobil Corp

XOM

Spectra Energy Corp

SE

F5 Networks Inc

FFIV

Sprint Nextel Corp

S

FLIR Systems Inc

FLIR

St Jude Medical Inc

STJ

FMC Corp

FMC

Stanley Black & Decker

SWK

FMC Technologies Inc

FTI

Staples Inc

SPLS

Family Dollar Stores Inc

FDO

Starbucks Corp

SBUX

Fastenal Co

FAST

Starwood Hotel & Resort World

HOT

FedEx Corp

FDX

State Street Corp

STT

Federated Investors Inc B

FII

Stericycle Inc

SRCL

Fidelity National Information

FIS

Stryker Corp

SYK

Fifth Third Bancorp (OH)

FITB

SunTrust Banks Inc (GA)

STI

First Horizon National Corp

FHN

Sunoco Inc

SUN

First Solar Inc

FSLR

Supervalu Inc

SVU

FirstEnergy Corp

FE

Symantec Corp

SYMC

Fiserv Inc

FISV

Sysco Corp

SYY

Flowserve Corp

FLS

T Rowe Price Group Inc

TROW

Fluor Corp

FLR

TECO Energy Inc

TE

Ford Motor Co

F

TJX Cos Inc

TJX

Forest Laboratories

FRX

Target Corp

TGT

Fortune Brands Inc

FO

Tellabs Inc

TLAB

Franklin Resources Inc

BEN

Tenet Healthcare

THC

Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold

FCX

Teradata Corp

TDC

Frontier Communications Corp

FTR

Teradyne Inc

TER

GameStop Corp A

GME

Tesoro Corp

TSO

Gannett Co Inc

GCI

Texas Instruments Inc

TXN

Gap Inc

GPS

Textron Inc

TXT

General Dynamics

GD

The Bank of New York Mellon Corp

BK

General Electric Co

GE

Thermo Fisher Scientific

TMO

General Mills Inc

GIS

Tiffany & Co

TIF

Genuine Parts Co

GPC

Time Warner Cable Inc

TWC

Genworth Financial Inc

GNW

Time Warner Inc

TWX

Gilead Sciences Inc

GILD

Titanium Metals Corp

TIE

Goldman Sachs Group Inc

GS

Torchmark Corp

TMK

Goodrich Corp

GR

Total System Services Inc

TSS

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co

GT

Travelers Cos Inc

TRV

Google Inc

GOOG

Tyco Intl

TYC

Grainger, W.W. Inc

GWW

Tyson Foods Inc A

TSN

HCP Inc

HCP

US Bancorp

USB

Halliburton Co

HAL

Union Pacific Corp

UNP

Harley-Davidson Inc

HOG

United Parcel Service Inc B

UPS

Harman Intl Industries Inc

HAR

United States Steel Corp

X

Harris Corp

HRS

United Technologies Corp

UTX

Hartford Finl Services Group

HIG

Unitedhealth Group Inc

UNH

Hasbro Inc

HAS

Unum Group

UNM

Health Care REIT Inc

HCN

Urban Outfitters

URBN

Heinz, H.J. Co

HNZ

VF Corp

VFC

Helmerich & Payne Inc

HP

Valero Energy Corp

VLO

Hershey Foods Corp

HSY

Varian Medical Systems Inc

VAR

Hess Corp

HES

Ventas Inc

VTR

Hewlett-Packard Co

HPQ

VeriSign Inc

VRSN

Home Depot Inc

HD

Verizon Communications Inc

VZ

Honeywell Intl Inc

HON

Viacom Inc B

VIA/B

Hormel Foods Corp

HRL

Visa Inc

V

Horton, D.R. Inc

DHI

Vornado Realty Trust

VNO

Hospira, Inc

HSP

Vulcan Materials Co

VMC

Host Hotels & Resorts Inc

HST

Wal-Mart Stores

WMT

Hudson City Bancorp

HCBK

Walgreen Co

WAG

Humana Inc

HUM

Walt Disney Co

DIS

Huntington Bancshares (OH)

HBAN

Washington Post Co B

WPO

ITT Corporation

ITT

Waste Management Inc

WM

Illinois Tool Works Inc

ITW

Waters Corp

WAT

Ingersoll-Rand Plc

IR

Watson Pharmaceuticals

WPI

Integrys Energy Group Inc

TEG

WellPoint Inc

WLP

Intel Corp

INTC

Wells Fargo & Co

WFC

IntercontinentalExchange

ICE

Western Digital Corp

WDC

Interpublic Group Cos

IPG

Western Union Co

WU

Intl Business Machines Corp

IBM

Weyerhaeuser Co

WY

Intl Flavors & Fragrances

IFF

Whirlpool Corp

WHR

Intl Game Technology

IGT

Whole Foods Market Inc

WFM

Intl Paper Co

IP

Williams Cos Inc

WMB

Intuit Inc

INTU

Windstream Corp

WIN

Intuitive Surgical Inc

ISRG

Wisconsin Energy Corp

WEC

Invesco Ltd

IVZ

Wyndham Worldwide Corp

WYN

Iron Mountain Inc

IRM

Wynn Resorts Ltd

WYNN

JDS Uniphase Corp

JDSU

XL Group Plc

XL

JP Morgan Chase & Co

JPM

Xcel Energy Inc

XEL

Jabil Circuit Inc

JBL

Xerox Corp

XRX

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc

JEC

Xilinx Inc

XLNX

Janus Capital Group Inc

JNS

Yahoo Inc

YHOO

Yum! Brands Inc

YUM

Zimmer Holdings Inc

ZMH

Zions Bancorp (UT)

ZION

eBay Inc.

EBAY

It is weird to see a company named as one of the biggest in the United States and have no idea what they even do!

Who Were the Original Members of the S&P 500?

I was shocked how hard it was to find the original constituents! Shocked. I am not sure why S&P wouldn’t provide the history of the members front and center? Maybe it has to do with how few companies still exist in the original list? or because the members themselves don’t mean that much for those doing research? But I did find the list from fellow blogger, JLP , who complied the list from the index of a book he owns:

Abbot Labs

Inspiration Consolidated Copper

ACF industries

Interantional Harvester

Acme Cleveland

International Business machines

Addressograph Multiphase

International Minerals & Chemicals

Admiral

International Nickel Co. CDA

Air Reduction

International Paper

Alco Products

International Shoe

Aldens Inc.

International Telephone & Telegraph

Allied Chemical & Dye

Intertype

Allied Stores

Island Creek Coal

Allied Supermarkets

J.C. Penney

Allis Chalmers

J.J. Newberry

Alpha Portland Industries

Jacob Ruppert

Aluminum

Jaeger Machine

Aluminum Company of America

Jefferson Lake Sulphur

Amalgamated Sugar

Jewel Tea

Amerada Petroleum

Jones & Laughlin Steel

American Agricultural Chemical

Joy Manufacturing

American Airlines

Kaiser Aluminum

American Bakeries

Kayser Roth

American Brake Shoe

Kennecott Copper

American Broadcasting Co.

Kimberly-Clark

American Can

Kresge

American Chain & Cable

Kroger

American Chicle

Laclede Gas

American Crystal Sugar

Lane Bryant

American Cyanamid

Lees & Sons

American Enka

Lehigh Portland Cement

American Export Lines

Lerner Stores

American Gas & Electric

Libbey-Ownens-Ford

American Home Products

Libby, McNeill & Libby

American Machine & Foundry

Liggett Group

American Metal Climax

Lilly Tulip

American Motors

Link Belt

American Natural Gas

Lockheed Aircraft

American Shipbuilding

Lone Star Industries

American Smetling & Refining

Lorillard

American Standard

Louisville & Nashville

American Stores

Lowenstein & Sons

American Telephone & Telegraph

Mack Truck

American Tobacco

Magma Copper

American Viscose

Magnavox

American Zinc Lead & Smelting

Manati Sugar

Amstar

Manhattan Shirt

Amsted Industries

Manville

Anaconda Copper Mining

Marathon

Anaconda Wire & Cable

Marquette Cement Manufacturing

ArcherDaniels-Midland

Marshall Field

Armco Steel

Martin-Marietta

Armour Co.

Masonite

Armstrong Cork

May Department Stores

Artloom Carpet

McCall

Associated Dry Goods

McCrory Stores

Associates Investments

McGraw Edison

Atchison, Topeka, Santa Fe

McGraw-Hill

Atlantic Coast Line

McIntyre Porcupine

Atlantic Richfield

Mead

Babcock & Wilcox

Melville Shoe

Baltimore & Ohio

Mercantile Stores

Baltimore Gas & Electric

Merck

Bath Iron Works

Merganthaler Linotype

Bayuk Cigars

Miami Cooper

Beatrice Foods

Middle South Utilities

Beaunit

Minneapolis Moline

Beckman Instruments

Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing

Becor Western

Mississipp River

Beechnut Life Saver

Missouri Pacific

Bendix

Missouri-Kansas-Texas

Beneficial

Mohasco Industries

Bestfoods

Monarch Machine Tool

Bethlehem Steel

Monsanto Chemical

Bigelow-Sanford

Montgomery Ward

Blaw Knox

Moore McCormack Resources

Bliss EW

Motor Wheel

Boeing

Motorola

Bohn Aluminum & Brass

Munsingwear

Bond Stores

National Buscuit

Borden

National Can

Borg Warner

National Cash Register

Bridgeport Brass

National Dairy Products

Briggs Manufacturing

National Dist. & Chem

Bristol-Myers

National Gypsum

Brooklyn Union Gas

National Lead

Brown Group

National Steel

Bullard Co.

National Sugar Refining

Burlington Industries

National Supply

Burroughs

National Tea

C.I.T. Financial

New England Electric System

California Packing Corp

New York Central

Campbell Soup

New York State Electric & Gas

Canada Dry

New York, Chicago & St. Louis

Cannon Mills

New York, New Haven & Hartford

Case (Ji)

Newport News Shipbuilding

Caterpillar Tractor Inc.

Niagara Mohawk Power

Celanese

North American Aviation

Celotex

Northern Pacific

Centeral & South West

Northern States Power Minn.

Central Aguirre Sugar

Norwich Pharmacal

Cerro De Pasco

Nothern Natural Gas

Chain Belt Co.

Oklahoma Natural Gas

Champion Power

Olin

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway

Oliver

Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul Pacfic

Otis Elevator

Chicago Pneumatic Tool

Owens Corning

Chicago R.I. & Pacific

Owens Illinios Glass

Chrysler

Pacific Enterprises

Cincinnati Gas & Electric

Pacific Gas & Electric

Cincinnati Milling Machine

Pacific Telephone & Telegraph

Cities Service

Pan American World Airways

Clark Equipment

Panhandle Eastern

Cleveland Elec. Illuminating

Paramount Pictures

Clevite Corp.

Parke Davis

Climax Molybdenum

Pen-Dixie Industries

Cluett Peabody

Penick & Ford

CNW (Chicago & North Western)

Peninsular Telephone

Coca-Cola

Penn Central

Colgate-Palmolive

Peoples Gas Light Coke

Colorado Fuel & Iron

PepsiCo

Columbia Broadcasting

Pfeiffer Brewing

Columbia Pictures

Pfizer

Columbian Carbon

Phelps Dodge

Combustion Engineering

Philadelphia Electric

Commercial Credit

Philco

Commercial Solvents

Philip Morris

Commonwealth Edison

Phillips Petroleum

Condé Naste

Pitney Bowes

Cone Mills

Pittsburgh Plate Glass

Congoleum-Nairn

Procter & Gamble

Consolidated Cigar

Public Service Electric and Gas

Consolidated Edison

Publicker Industries

Consolidated Natural Gas

Pullman

Consolidation Coal

Quaker Oats

Consumers Power

R.H. Macy

Container Corp. of America

R.J. Reynolds Industries

Continental Baking

Raytheon

Continental Can

RCA

Continental Oil

Reading Co.

Cooper Industries

Reed Roller Bit

Copper Range

Reeves Brothers

Corn Products

Reliance Manufacturing

Cornell-Dubilier

Republic Aviation

Corning Glassworks

Republic Pictures

Coumbia Gas System

Republic Steel

Crane Co.

Revere Copper & Brass

Cream of Wheat

Reynolds Metal

Crown Cork & Seal

Richardson Merrell

Crown Zellerbach

Rockwell Standard

Crucible Steel

Royal Crown Cola

Cuban American Sugar

Royal Dutch Petroleum

Cudahy Packing

Royal McBee

Cuneo Press

Ruberoid

Curtis Publishing

S.H. Kress

Curtiss-Wright

Safeway Stores

Cutler-Hammer

Schenley Industries

Dan River

Schering

Dana

Scott Paper

Daystrom Inc.

Scovill Manufacturing

Dayton Power & Light

Seaboard Finance

Dayton Rubber

Seaboard Oil

Deere

Sears Roebuck

Deleware Power & Light

Servel

Denver Rio Grande

Shell Oil

Detriot Edison

Sinclair Oil

Diamond T Motor Car

Smith-Douglass

Diana Stores

Socony Vacuum Oil

Distillers Corp Seagram

South Puerto Rico Sugar

Divco Wayne

Southern

Dixie Cup

Southern California Edison

Dome Mines

Southern Natural Gas

Douglas Aircraft

Southern Pacific

Dow Chemical

Southern Railway

Dr Pepper

Spencer Kellogg

Dresser Industries

Sperry Rand

Duquesne Light

Spiegel

DWG Cigars

Square D

E.I. DuPont de Nemours

St. Joseph Lead

Eagle Picher

St. Louis-San Francisco

Eastern Airlines

St. Regis

Eastman Kodak

Standard Brands

Eaton

Standard Oil of California

El Paso Natural Gas

Standard Oil of Indiana

Electric Auto-Lite

Standard Oil of New Jersey

Elliot co.

Sterling Drug

Emerson Radio & Phonograph

Stevens (JP)

Endicott Johnson

Stokely-Van Camp

Enserch

Storer Broadcasting

Equitable Gas

Studebaker Packard

Erie Railroad

Sunbeam

F.W. Woolworth

Sunshine Biscuits

Fajardo Sugar

Sutherland Paper

Falstaff Brewing

Sweets Co.

Family Finance

Swift

Federal Paper Board

Sylvania Electric Products

Federated Department Stores

Texas Co.

Firestone Tire & Rubber

Texas Gulf Producing

First National Stores

Texas Gulf Sulphur

Firth Carpet

Texas Pacific Coal & Oil

Flintkote

Texas Utilities

Florida Power

Thatcher Glass

Food Fair Stores

Thompson Products

Ford Motor

Tidewater Oil

Foremost Dairies

Trans World Airlines

Foster Wheeler

Truax-Traer Coal

Freeport Sulphur

Twentieth-Century-Fox

Fruehauf Trailer Corp.

U S Steel

G.C. Murphy

U.S. Hoffman Machinery

Gardner-Denver

Union Bag Camp Paper

General Cable

Union Carbide & Carbon

General Cigars

Union Oil of California

General Dynamics

Union Pacific Railroad

General Electric

United Aircraft

General Finance

United Airlines

General Foods

United Biscuit of America

General Host

United Electric Coal

General Mills

United Gas

General Motors

United States Gypsum

General Portland Cement

United States Lines

General Public Utilities

United States Rubber

General Signal

United States Smelting and Refining

General Telephone & Electric

Universal Pictures

Genesco

Van Raalte

Gimbel Brothers

Vanadium

Goebel Brewing

Vertientes-Camaguey Sugar

Goodrich

Virgina Electric

Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Virginia Carolina Chemical

Grand Union

W. R. Grace

Great Northern

W.T. Grant

Great Western Sugar

Walker Hiram Goooderham & Worts

Guantanamo Sugar

Walworth Co.

Gulf Mobile & Ohio RR

Ward Baking

Gulf Oil

Warner Brothers

H.L. Green

Warner-Lambert

Hall Printing

Washington Gas Light

Halliburton

Waukesha Motors

Harris Seybold

Wayne Pump

Heinz

Wesson Oil

Hercules Motors

West Penn Electric

Hercules Powder

Westinghouse Electric

Hershey Foods

Westinhouse Air Brake

Holland Furnace

Westvaco Corp.

Holly Sugar

Wheeling Steel Corp.

Homestake Mining

White Motors

Houdaille Industries

Wilson Co.

Household Finance

Winn-Dixie Stores

Howmet

Worthington

Illinois Central RR

Wrigley

Illinois Power

Yale & Towne

Indianapolis Power & Light

Youngstown Sheet & Tube

Industrial Rayon

Zenith Radio

Ingersoll-Rand

Inland Street

Considering I only know a handful of the companies it would probably be a fun excercise to figure out what happened to each one (i.e. bankruptcy, merger, takeover, went private, gov’t break up).

I took a quick peak at Zenith Radio since I sort of remember having a Zenith Television when I was much younger. Apparently Zenith was an American powerhouse in the electronic field from 1918 till about 1980 when they started to lose market share to Japanese competitors. They were eventually swallowed up by LG Electronics (part in buy out and part during bankruptcy).

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Evan is the owner of My Journey to Millions which was started to track his journey from a broke debt ridden law school graduate to building a positive balance. Need more Evan? Follow him on Twitter, Contact him or get new posts directly to your email

5 Comments

My first portable radio was a Zenith! It was the iPod of its day. Although I have investments in the S & P 500, it is only part of my overall strategy of asset allocation. It represents less than 5% of my total investments.

I have to admit I haven’t thought about this but it’s very interesting. I would think most of the originals are not there due to mergers/buy-outs (so they’re still there but under a different name). Do this research for me and let me know!

My Journey to Millions

My Journey to Millions is an 8 year old personal finance blog focused on topics including basic personal finance issues, advanced insurance planning, high net worth estate planning. In addition, there is a particular focus on dividend growth investing and option trading.